Rating: 
Summary: You HAVE to read this
Review: The Sword of Shannara is a GREAT book. Brooks keeps you wondering until the very end. Not only is the plot amazing, but the writing style makes you truely like you're a part of the adventure... I would highly recommened it to any fantasy lover!
Rating:
Summary: For all fiction fans
Review: Maybe the best proof of how much I liked this book is the fact that i read it about 6 times( this was maybe too much because now I can't read one single line from it again). Nevertheless, I found it astonishing. I read some of the reviews of the book on this site and found myself pretty angry at those who dared to compare the book with the " The Lord of the rings"(elves weren't invented by Tolkien, you know, and he was just lucky enough to be the first one with a group of people journeying together in his book). The only thing I didn't like about "The Sword" was the fact that I found a mistake in the book - somewhere at the beginning - Balinor has hazelnut brown eyes and at the end they turn out to be blue. However, since I read the book in my mother tongue this may be a mistake in translation. The characters are fantastic, especially prince of Leah. I'm sorry he wasn't the main character of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, but exactly like Lord of the Rings
Review: I absolutely loved this book, but it was a total [copy] of Lord of the Rings. I mean it had an inexperienced protagonist placed in a situation to become a hero, a mysterious and magical "guide" sort of guy, a big evil bad guy, and lots of adventures and mishaps, and that sort of thing.But, oh wait... I think I've seen about 8 million movies, and read a hundred books that have that in them! Does that mean that every thing is a [copy] of Tolkein? Or maybe, just maybe a long time ago somebody figured out what elements of a story people found interesting, maybe there are a limited number of combinations, and maybe, just maybe this all happened way before Lord of the Rings! Say it ain't so Billf! SAY IT AIN'T SO! Yes my dear friends, we as humans are very fickle, and limited in what interests us, and artists understood this way back before Tolkien was ever born. Aw heck, way before his parents' parents' Uncle's pet monkey's grandfather was born! Sure there are similarities, but there are similarities in everything we read, people are inspired by Tolkien, and I'm sure if he were alive today, he'd be honored that so many writters were taking influence from his work.
Rating:
Summary: The Sword of Truth about Shannara
Review: I started reading Terry Brooks with this novel. Be warned that if you want to read it that it is over 700 pages. However, within those pages are some very well done drawings of the characters. Likened to Star Wars this is Shannara: Episode 2. To my knowledge there is only one prequel, I may be wrong. The story is very well written and quickly introduces you to the plight of Allanon, last of the Druids of Paramor. The Warlock Lord is about to take over the Four Lands and it is up to the Ohmford brothers, one of who is a direct descendent of the Shannara family, to locate the Sword of their ancestors and use it to bring the Warlock Lord to his knees. The Sword is filled with action, adventure, humor, honor, and fantasy. I loved this book and I hope that you will too. Enjoy
Rating: 
Summary: Tolkien Plaguerism for Illiterate Children of All Ages
Review: Yes, all the chilluns say, "I'm not an inexperienced reader... I've read Robert Jordan." Unfortunately, the un-read cannot be convinced, though they will learn what real books are sooner or later, if they are lucky. Tolkien was great because his writing was on par with the greats of literature --and he Created A World. He didn't borrow one from someone else and then dumb it down for the TV-blinkered philistines. Tolkien created art, not pulp. The Sword of Shanara is the poster child for the worst of the fantasy genre (which I love, along with modern American and English fiction, crime novels, Russian lit, and the best of the romantics). Brookes is openly derivative market pulp fluff from a degradingly shallow imitator. From the cardboard cutouts that ape LoTR CHARACTERS, to the virtually cloned plot and devices, to the hackneyed writing and insulting plaguerism, Brooks takes the lifework of a great writer, historian, scholar and thinker, and degrades it for quick cash and guaranteed serialization. "The Sword of Shannara" is simply a tragically successful play for the market created by artist Tolkien and ravaged by a host of poor imitators. Dreck dreck dreck.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: This is definately my favorite book I have ever read. The description and the words used to create this marvolous tale is simply...amazing! I would suggest this book more then any other I have read, and I read quite a bit. If you are looking for a good read, this novel has your name written all over it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy Classic.
Review: This was one of the first fantasy books I read when growing up and its still my favorite. Brooks just has a knack for creating interesting characters and settings. I love the way he can divide up a storyline and then bring it all back together at the end of the book. Brooks also does a great job of describing battles. He makes you feel like part of the battle. A great example of a good vs evil story.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Plagiarism
Review: This was my first `serious' fantasy novel. I picked it up at a yard sale one day, after reading the Chronicles of Narnia as a child and quite enjoyed it. In fact this is the novel that got me into fantasy, a genre I love and enjoy today. I read this novel twice in fact within a three year span of time. So why do I give this novel two stars? Because I am being generous...I do at least have it to thank for introducing me to the genre. There are some who disagree with me (and they gave this novel typically five stars, I have noticed that most in reviews give either five or one for any given novel but in any case I digress). I believe this novel is plagiarism of this other book, actually a series of books called "The Lord of the Rings" I read them a few years later and noticed a few similarities. First was the concept of the classic quest. The rural villager asked to go save the world. This is a classic idea, something of Tolkien's that was totally derivative. If you read "A Hero's Journey" by Joseph Cambell he can tell you that this is a typical idea and I'm ok with that. Unfortunately I found most, if not all the ideas to be typical. In my opinion Allanon was just a different name for Gandalf, Shea and Flick Ohmsford for Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee respectively, the Skullbearers for Ringwraiths, the border capitol (I think it was Tyris but it has been a while) for Minas Tirith, Allanon's death and resurection for Gandalf's, the Sword of the Shannara nearly (but not completely) for the One Ring, the journey through the Hall of Kings for Moria and I could go on. In any case, I found this entire book derivative. If you want to read Brooks, move on to the Elfstones of Shannara and Wishsong, which was at least more imaginative. And if you have read "The Lord of the Rings" I would recommend you stay away from this entirely.
Rating:
Summary: The start of something beautiful
Review: I must have read this book nearly half a dozen times! Which is odd for me, because there are way too many instances where I will get to the last few chapters of a book, and then just stop reading it. This entire series has kept me on edge, and I cannot wait until the next book comes out in September (or was it October?) of 2001!
Rating:
Summary: you'll be reading more than you wach TV, alot more,greatbook
Review: Great. I really liked this book alot. It puts you right there trying to guess what will happen next. Every time the book swiches to the other struggling party you wounder what will happen to the other. The descriptions are amazing. The only bad thing was I was reading it and was counting to see how many more pages till the end of the chapter and there was a picture, ...the pictures are a little faulty but other than that it's one of the best books, NO! it is the best book I have ever read!
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